Emry davis



(No Model.)

E. DAVIS.

INKSTAND.

Patented Feb. 14; 1893.

INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMRY DAVIS, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

INKSTAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 491,640, dated February14, 1893.

Application filed March 30, 1892.

T0 (ZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMRY DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Inkstands, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to automatic inkstands, and its object is toprovide acomparatively inexpensive, simple and serviceable device ofthis character, in which the evaporation of the ink is reduced to aminimum, the consumption of the ink permitted until the well is verynearly exhausted in which the ink is kept free from exterior dust andimpurities, and spurting and overflow of the ink from the pen cup isprevented should the pen be violently passed into the pen cup.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement andcombination of parts which is hereinafter described and claimed,reference being had to the drawings forming a part hereof, and in whichsimilar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an inkstand constructed in accordancewith the terms of my invention; Fig. 2 is atransversc vertical sectionof the same; Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the ink tube; and Fig. 4is an elevation of the ink tube.

The body 10, of the inkstand may be constructed of glass or any othersuitable material and of any desired dimensions or preferred contour. Asshown in the drawings said body is of square or rectangular shape andhas its edges beveled in the ordinary manner to give the same a neatappearance. The ink well 11, is circular in contour, with a rounded orconcave bottom to facilitate the displacement of the ink as hereinafterreferred to, the well occupying the greater portion of the body. Withinthe mouth of the well is held an elastic rubber ring 13, to insure anair-tight joint between the well and the cover of the inkstand and alsoto exclude dust and impurities.

The cover is preferably constructed of vulcanized rubber although othersuitable material may be employed, and consists of an Serial No.427,118. (No model.)

annular flange 14, having a central circular aperture 15, for thereception of the buoyant ink tube hereinafter more particularlydescribed, and has formed therein at one side of said aperture adiagonally ranging air vent or aperture 16,int-o which a plug 17, ofmaterial similar to that of the flange, fits removably; the purpose ofsaid plug and aperture being hereinafter explained.

Integral with the under face of the cover is formed a circular sleeve18, the lower end having a straight inner wall, while its outer walltapers downward to the lower end of the sleeve, thereby giving thesleeve the shape of an inverted cone, the lower end of said sleeveextending nearly to the bottom of the ink well and being open to thesame. Immediately below the flange 14, is formed in the upper end of thesleeve 18 an annular chamber 19, which is eccentrically located to thesleeve 18, the base wall of the chamber extending downward to meet theouter wall of the air tube to be presently described, and the inner wallof the sleeve as shown in Fig. 2. At one side of the said chamber thebody of the sleeve 18 is thickened to allow of the prolongationtherethrough of the aperture 16 in the flange 14, to communicate withthe well 11 above the ink therein asalso shown in Fig. 2.

Within. the central aperture of the flange l4 and in the sleeve 18, fitsloosely a circular buoyant air tube, 20, having a flared upper end andhaving a series of openings 24 at its lower end, four such openingsbeing shown in Fig. 3; andintegral with the air tube is formed ing aflaring upper end 22, which constitutes the pen cup and rests within theflared upper end of the air tube 20. The ink tube 21 being a part of andforming the inner wall of the air tube 20. The inner wall of ink tube 21below the flanged upper end 22 is straight and one size nearly to thelower end; where it is made much smaller leaving centrally therein, asmall vertical aperture, as shown at 23, Figs. 2 and 8; which operatingwith the air-cushion formed by the openings 24, as hereinafterdescribed, prevents the ink from spurting when the pen cup is depressed.

It will be noticed that the outer wall of the IOU air tube extendsvertically above the flared upper end of the ink tube thereby forming anarrow flange or rim as shown at 25 Figs. 1 and 2. The object of thisflange or rim is to prevent the pen from lying flat upon the surface ofthe flared upper end of the ink tube when dipping thereby preventing theink from spurting out over the edge of the pen cup or from spurting upthe penholder by following the under side of the pen.

To fill the ink Well 11, the plug 17 in the flange 14 of the cover isremoved, and ink in desired quantity placed in the well by pouring itinto the pen cup at the upper end of the air tube 20, whereupon the inktube and air tube are depressed or raised to any desired depth or heightin the sleeve and held thereat with one hand, and the plug is then withthe other hand fitted tightly in the diagonal aperture in the flange ofthe cover. By this means the ink tube and air tube are held inequilibrium in the sleeve and inkwell, it being understood that thecover has been fitted tightly to place in the mouth of the well.

To fill the pen with ink, it is dipped into the pen cup 22 and thelatter pressed downward with the pen to the position shown'in dottedlines in Fig. 2, such pressure forcing the air tube and ink tube intothe ink in the well and displacing the same, so that ink will then risethrough the central aperture in the ink tube and pass to the pen cup. Onreleasing the pen cup from pressure, by withdrawing the pen, the airtube and ink tube regain their equilibrium and rise to the positionshown in full lines in Fig. 2, the ink at the same time receding fromthe pen cup and ink tube and returning to the well.

It will be obvious that as both the pen cup and the ink tube are emptyexcept at the moment of dipping the pen, the ink being normallyin thewellthe evaporation of the ink is reduced to a minimum; and for the samereason and because of the tight fitting cover flange, dust andimpurities are excluded from the ink supply.

As a certain amount of ink is required to float the ink and air tube, itwill also be seen that when the ink is nearly exhausted the concavebottom of the ink well concentrates the last of the ink directly underthe ink tube and air tube, and more readily allows the displacement ofnearly all of the ink in the inkstand than if it was constructed with aflat surface.

, The openings, 24, in the air tube afford the formation of an aircushion to increase the buoyancy of the air tube and make it moredelicate and soft to the touch of the pen, and relieves thepressure'upon the ink flowing to the pen-cup, so as to prevent spurtingY and overflow at the cup, the thickened apertured portion at the lowerend of the ink tube contributing to that end.

The chamber beneath the cover flange is provided as a receptacle for anyink that might work up between the air tube and the sleeve 18, -which,were this not provided, would run out upon the outside of the stand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An inkstand having a buoyant vertically-movable ink-supplytube,provided with air inlets at its lower end, and a flange or rim at thetop of the pen cup at its upper end, and having the inlet for the ink atits lower end contracted, and means for holding said tube inequilibrium, for regulating the point of equilibrium of said tube andfor filling the inkstand and an ink overflow chamber surrounding saidtube, eccentrically thereto, substantially as shown and described forthe purpose specified. I

2. An inkstand having a buoyant vertically-movable ink-supply tube,provided with air inlets at its lower end, and a flange or rim at thetop of the pen cup at its upper end, and having the inlet for the ink atits lower end contracted and means for holding said tube in equilibrium,for regulating the point of equilibrium of said tube, and for fillingthe inkstand, and an ink overflow chamber surrounding said tube,eccentrically thereto, and means for connecting the cover with the well,substantially as shown and described for the purpose specified.

3. In an inkstand the combination with a centrally apertured cover,having a diagonally-ranging aperture at one side of its center, and alsohaving a central sleeve integral with its under face, and aneccentrically arranged ink overflow chamber in the sleeve next thecover, of a buoyant ink-supply tube movable in said sleeve and cover,provided with air inlets at its lower end, and having a flaring pen cupat its upper end, and a flange or rim at the upper end of the pen cup,the inlet for the ink at the lower end being contracted, a removableplug fitting the diagonally-ranging aperture in the cover of the inkwell for holding said tube in equilibrium, for regulating the point ofequilibrium of said tube and for filling the inkstand, and means forconnecting the cover with the well, substantially as shown and describedfor the purposes specified.

4. In an inkstand, the combination with a centrally apertured cover,having a diagonally-ranging aperture at one side of its center, and alsohaving a central sleeve integral with its under face, below the centralaperture and open to the ink well, said well having a concave bottom,and an eccentrically arranged ink overflow chamber in the sleeve nextthe cover, and means for connecting the cover with the well; of abuoyant inksupply tube movable in the sleeve and cover, provided withair inlets-at its lower end, and havinga flaring pen cup at its upperend,

and a flange or rim at the upper end of the In testimony that I claimthe foregoing as pen cup, and an ink inlet communicating my invention Ihave signed my name in preswith the ink well the lower end of which isence of two witnesses.

contracted, and a removable plug fitting the EMRY DAVIS. 5 diagonalaperture in the cover of the ink well, WVitnesses:

substantially as shown and described for the W. L. CHAFFEE,

purposes specified. J. T. RILEY.

